Power pitching and angling bullgrader

ABSTRACT

Power adjusted bulldozing attachment for a tractor having a Cframe and a bullgrading blade thereon capable of pitching, tilting, and single and double angle angling. An intermediate region of the blade has a universal mounting to the front of the C-frame. Pairs of strut members incorporating power units are connected to the end sections of the blade and to the legs of the C-frame for pitching and tilting the blade. The blade is angled by shifting the struts by means of power pistons on the legs of the C-frame. Piston locks fix the struts at locking points on the frame legs so that the blade, formed of bisected sections, can have the sections swung similarly to single angles or oppositely for double angle contouring.

, [111 3,823,783 [451 July 16, 1974 1 POWER PITCHING AND ANGLING BULLGRADER [75] Inventor: Ronald E. Luedtke, Elmhurst, 111.

[73] Assignee: International Harvester Company,

Chicago, 111.

[22] Filed: Jam-29, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 327,286

[52] U.S. Cl 172/802, 172/804, 172/807 [51] Int. Cl E02f 3/76 [58] Field of Search 172/802, 804, 803, 805, 172/807; 37/42 [56] References Cited- I UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,997,001 4/1935 Lamb 172/802 2,230,704 2/1941 Sorensen.... 172/802 2,943,407 7/1960 Long 172/804 3,157,099 11/1964 Ulrich 172/802 3,378,084 4/1968 Ulrich 172/802 3,645,340 v 2/1972 Frisbee 172/804 3,662,838 5/1972 Polzin 172/804 Primary Examiner-Stephen C. Pellegrino Attorney, Agent, or Firm-John W. Gaines; Floyd B.

Harman [5 7] ABSTRACT Power adjusted bulldozing attachment for a tractor having a C-frame and a bullgrading blade thereon capable of pitching, tilting, and single and double angle angling. An intermediate region of the blade has a universal mounting to the front of the C-frame. Pairs of strut members incorporating power units are connected to the end sections of the blade and to the legs of the C-frame for pitching and tilting the blade. The blade is angled by shifting the struts by means of power pistons on the legs of the C-frame. Piston locks fix the struts at locking points on the frame legs so that the blade, formed of bisected sections, can have the sections swung similarly to single angles or oppositely for double angle contouring.

4 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures POWER PITCHING AND ANGLING BULLGRADER The present invention relates to a bulldozing attachment for a tractor. More specifically, the invention provides for various kinds of movement of a bullgrading blade which movesboth with and relative to a supporting C-frame in the attachment.

It is known to give a push dozer blade movements by mounting structures such as a tilting structure, or a pitching structure, or a double angle angling structure for best use of the blade. The difficulty has been that the mounting structures accommodating such movements have been bulky, heavy, complicated, limited in versatility, and expensive.

An object of the present invention is to provide a simplified mounting for a bullgrading blade that will avoid the aforementioned difficulty, and afford the whole series of movements.

From the later following description of my assembly of a mounting C-frame and a bullgrader blade mounted thereon, it will become apparent that I provide an improved arrangement of such frame and blade assembly, characterized by: the blade having lower struts with ends lockable to the C-frarne legs; the blade at the lower end sections having joints connecting same to the lower struts which, when strut ends are locked to points on the C-frame legs, establish locked positions of the blade; the blade having tilt struts connected by joints to and between the lower strut lockable ends and the blade upper end sections; the blade having at a bisected intermediate section a joint universally connecting same to the front of the C-frame, and defining a first horizontal axis extending fore and aft and a second horizontal axis in an athwart position of the C-frame, extending crosswise; the bisection defining a generally upright hinge axis at the intermediate blade section; power means associated with the blade for angling same as a unit about the hinge axis to single angle locked positions and for diagonally angling the end sections independently to double angle locked positions; oppositely coacting cylinders operatively associated with the first horizontal axis and tilt struts to tilt the blade about the first axis between selected tilt angles; the joints at the intermediate'and lower end sections of the blade'characterized by universal connections; and similarly coacting cylinders operatively associated with the second horizontal axis and tilt struts to pitch the blade about the second axis between selected suction angles.

A specific object therefore is to provide an improved mounting C-frame structure for mounting a blade to impart pitching and angling movement thereto.

A further specific object is to provide an improved structure mounting a bisected blade for double angle contouring, afforded by independently angling the two sections of such bisected blade.

Features, advantages, and other objects will appear from the detailed description that follows and from the attached drawings, which show certain preferred embodiments of my invention, and in which:

FIGS. 1, 2, and 3 are side elevations, as viewed from the right side, of a crawler tractor embodying the present bullgrader invention; FIG. 2 is like FIG. 1, but is shown more fragmentarily and with parts broken away for clarity; and FIG. 3 is like FIG. 2, but is shown isobullgrading attachment;

.FIGS. 4 and 5 are in plan and in elevation, as viewed from the top and from the front, respectively;

FIG. 6 is an isometric view of a central hinge detail in FIG. 5; and

FIG. 7 is in elevation, viewed isometrically and from the rear and showing a modification of the invention.

As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 3, a bullgrading attachment 10 comprises a C-frame 11 and a bullgrader blade 12 connected thereto. By means of fixed trunnions 9, the C-frame 11 in customary way has the rear ends of its legs 13 pivotally connected on a horizontal transverse axis 14 to a crawler tractor 15. A base 16 of the C-frame 11 has its mid-region connected to a lower central section or mid-region of the blade 12 by means of a pin 17 secured to the base 16 and by means of a socket member 18 in a multiple joint secured to the blade 12. The pin has a spherical ball head 19 (FIG. 3) which is received in a spherical cavity in the member 18 to form a ball and socket connection called a ball o nt.

As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 3, the attachment includes at each side a pair of struts 20. One of the pairs 20 is connected to an end section of the blade 12 and one leg 13 of the C-frame 11, and the other is connected to another end section of the blade 12 and the other leg l3-of the C-frame ll.

Each pair comprises a lower strut 21 which is preset on internal threads to fixed length, and an adjustable upper strut 22. The front end of the lower or locking strut 21 is universally connected to a lower region of an end section of the blade 12, and the rear end of the lower strut 21 is, connected to a trunnion ball 23.

The front end of the upper strut 22 is universally connected to an upper region of the adjacent blade end section, and the rear end of the strut 22 is connected to the lower strut 21 at or near the end of the latter away from the blade .12. The upper strut 22 incorporates an hydraulic power cylinder 24, a piston (not shown) slidably mounted therein, and a piston rod 26 secured to the piston and projecting forwardly from the cylinder 24. Each strut 22 and its associated hydraulic cylinder 24 are hereinafter referred to as the pitch cylinder.

Each leg 13 of the C-frame has a front slideway 28 (FIG. 1) slidably supporting one of the trunnion balls v 23, the ball being guided thereby on a slider in the slideway for fore and aft movement and universally carrying one pair 20 of struts. An angling cylinder 30 in a rear section of each C-frame leg 13 has a longitudinal piston rod 32 connected to the slider and trunnion ball and is hydraulically locked to fix the position of the trunnion ball and struts with respect to the C-frame.

SINGLE ANGLING For angling the two pairs 20 of struts with respect to the C-frame 11, involving movement of the blade 12 about a vertical axis to one angle for single angle contouring, the angling cylinders 30 hydraulically coact oppositely so as to shift the trunnion balls 23 and pairs 20 of struts along the legs of the C-frame in opposite directions. The blade 12 thus stays straight end for end and can discharge bullgraded material across the front either to the'left of the tractor or to the right of the tractorfor its full width.

PITCl-IING Pitching of the blade 12 with respect to the C-frame 11, involving out-of-plane movement about a horizontal axis 32 (FIG. 3) to the tractor 15, is accomplished by hydraulically causing similar coaction of the pitch cylinders 24. That is to say, the pitch cylinders cause the upper struts 22 of both pairs 20 of struts simultaneously to extend for increasing the suction angle as with clay grading, or simultaneously to foreshorten and pull back the blade 12 to a decreased suction angle. For this reason, the universal connection at the lower intermediate region of the blade formed by the ball head 19 and the universal connections from the lower struts 21 to the blade are precisely transversely aligned on the common pitch axis 32.

The resulting change in suction angle is suggested by various broken line pitched positions of the blade 12 in FIG. 1. The blade 12 at the time is straight end for end, either not angled in the position shown or shifted to some single angle therefrom- TILTING For tilting the blade 12 with respect to the C-frame 11, involving movement generally about a longitudinal central axis of the tractor 15, the pitch cylinders hydraulically coact oppositely. For instance, one pitch cylinder can foreshorten an upper strut 22 an mount in one pair 20 of struts while the other pitch cylinder 24 is extending the other upper strut 22 by about thesame amount.

The resulting change in tilt angle is suggested by various broken line tilted positions of the blade 12 in FIG. 5. The blade 12 at the time is straight end for end, either not angled in the position shown or shifted to some single angle therefrom.

ELEVATIONAL PIVOTING Dual cylinder hydraulic lift mechanism is operated to raise and lower the attachment about the trunnion axis 14 at the rear end of the C-frame 11 (FIG. 3). Each of two lift cylinders 34 has a gimbel connection at the mid-portion to an upright side frame 36 secured to the TRACTOR The tractor l5 isconventional, including a pair of rear drive sprockets 40, an operators platform 42, and an engine hood 44.

Each sprocket 40 drives oppositely moving upper and lower flights of track chain which are trained to follow in an endless path on an adjacent track frame 46.

The halls of the trunnions 9 (FIG. 3) project laterally at each side from the track frame (not shown) at that side so as to support the outside-arm frame on this outside-arm bulldozer.

The platform 42 supports a frontwardly facing operators seat 48, so that the operator is accessible to foot controls 50 mounted on the platform and to hand controls 52 mounted in an engine console ahead of the operator.

The hood 44 carries a pair of head lamps 54 in the upper forward portion thereof, and covers a forwardly located engine compartment 56 located generally above and'between the track frames 46.

DOUBLE ANGLE STRUCTURE FIGS. 4, 5, and 6 DOUBLE ANGLING When the angling cylinders, not shown, are operated as similarly coacting cylinders extensibly, both end sections 66a can be extensibly swung about the hinge pin 60 into a forwardly open V-shape as shown by the broken lines 68 in FIG. 4. Also, when the angling cylinders, not shown, are simultaneously foreshortened, the rightward end section 66a as viewed in FIG. 4 can be withdrawn rearwardly to the point where it and the leftward end section 66a as shown in solid lines form a rearwardly open V-shape. v

The resulting change of double angle shape for varying contouring projects issuggested by various few broken line angled positions in FIG. 4. One especially effective shape with the V rearwardly open will be for snow plowing. Back filling and side casting allow V- shapes to be employed to advantage at a wide range of angles.

The pairs of struts 20 are universally connected to the blade 12 by sets of non-intersecting pins 70 and 72 as exemplified by the lower struts 21 as shown in FIG. 4. Clevises support the pins 70 and 72 closely to one another and in an essentially mutually perpendicular relationship in each set with the rearward pin 70 horizontal and the forward pin 72 vertical. Such universal connection is designated type 74a.

ln the modification of FIG. 7, the universal connection of modified type 74b comprises a ball joint between the strut concerned and the adjacent lower portion of the blade end sections 66a. Again, when the blade end sections are aligned straight with one another, the spherical ball head 19 and the type 74b universal connections on the lower portion are on a line athwart of the C-frame and forming a common horizontal pitch axis 32. Ball, joints can be designed for ready substitution in the universal connections described, and they are freer from binding, especially when twisted.

It is worthy of note that the tractor operator can tilt, pitch, elevate, single angle, and double angle the blade 12 to a precise attitude without leaving the seat 48 of the tractor, because hand controls 52'for the pitch cylinders 24, lift cylinders 34, and the angling cylinders 30 mounted in the described way within easy reach from the tractor seat. The usual cylinder circuits include pumps, reservoir, control valves, hoses and conduits in customary way and, for simpliciation, the actual controls and circuits are not illustrated.

It will now be appreciated just how flexible are the steps of adjusting to a precise attitude the present multi-piece blade structure. Such structure includes blade end sections, and a region of the blade intermediate the end sections and supported on the front of an horizontal C-frame pivoted at the rear, the blade having at its respective end sections first connections to locking struts correspondingly connecting same to the C-frame, and having extensible and foreshortenable upper struts also connecting the blade to the locking struts, the intermediate region supported on a joint defining a first axis extending fore and aft and defining in common with the first connections to the locking strust an athwart axis, a bisection of said blade at the intermediate region defining a blade hinge axis.

In summary, those steps herein provided comprise tilting the blade about the first axis between tilt angles selectively by operating the upper struts oppositely to one another; pitching the blade aboutthe athwart axis between suction angles selectively by simultaneously extending or simultaneously foreshortening the upper struts; changing the blade about the hinge axis between locked positions selectively by angling the blade in a direction to one angle or by angling it in the opposite direction to one angle or by doing double angle contouring, afforded by diagonally independently angling the blade end sections; and changing the blade among different heights by selectively pivotally raising or pivotally lowering the C-frame.

The are of tilt 76, the arc of pitch 78, the arc of angling 80, and the arc of elevation 82 are so designated in FIGS. 5, l, 4, and 2, respectively.

What is claimed is:

1. An outside-arm bulldozer assembly of a supporting C-frame for attachment to a dozer tractor, and a supported blade thereon having opposite end sections, and having an intermediate section of bisection interconnecting the opposite end sections at their inner end;

said blade having blade locking means cooperating with the C-frame legs, and lower struts with ends having the locking means disposed between the strut ends and the C-frame legs and lockable by the blade locking means to, the C-frame legs; said blade having lower end sectionsand, at the lower end sections, having joints connecting same to the lower struts which, when the strut ends are locked to points on the C-frame legs, establish locked positions of the blade; said blade having blade upperend sections and having upper struts connected between said lower strut lockable ends and the blade upper end sections;

said blade having a lower intermediate section and having, at its bisection, a multiple joint connecting same at the lower intermediate section to the C- frame and defining, inter alia, a pitch axis extending horizontally crosswise, and a generally upright hinging axis;

the joint at the intermediate section of the blade and at each lower end section characterized by universal connections;

said upper struts having simultaneously extensibly powered and simultaneously foreshortenably powered means connected to the upper struts to pitch the blade about the pitch axis between selected suction angles;

said blade having simultaneously oppositely powered and simultaneously similarly powered extensible and foreshortenable angling means provided on the C-frame legs and connected to the blade selectively to angle same in a direction at one blade angle, or

to double angle contouring afforded by diagonally independently angling the blade end sections to locked positions about the upright hinging axis. 2. An outside arm bulldozer attachment for a tractor, comprising:

a C-frame with an intermediate region at the front and two spaced legs joined thereby andterminating in rear ends, said rear ends having means of pivotal connection to opposite outer sides of the tractor;

a bisected blade extending across the front of the C- frame;

universal connection between the intermediate region of the C-frame and an intermediate region of the blade at the lower part of its bisection, and universally interconnecting the two regions about mutually perpendicular axes,said bisection defining a generally upright hinge axis between end sections of the blade; and v a pair of adjustable strut means for respectively pitching and tilting the blade about the perpendicular axes of the universal connection, one strut means being connected with one end section of the blade and one leg of the C-frame, the other strut means being connected with the other end section of the blade and strut other leg of the C-frame, the connections of said one strut means and said other strut means, for purposesiof angling of the blade, having means shiftably mounting same on the legs of the C-frame so as to be shiftable along the legs of the C-f rame in opposite directions to angle the blade for single angle contouring and in the same direction to angle the blade for double angle contouring.

3. The combination of a supporting C-frame, for attachment to a bullgrading tractor, and a bisected blade supported thereby;

said blade having blade locking means cooperating with the C-frame legs, and lower struts with ends having the locking means disposed between the strut ends and the C-frame legs and lockable by the blade locking means to the C-frame legs;

said blade having lower end sections and, at the lower end sections having joints connecting same to the lower struts which, when the strut ends are locked to points on the C-framelegs, establish locked positions of the blade;

said blade having blade upper end sections and having tilt struts connected between said lower strut lockable ends and the blade upper end sections;

said bisected blade having hinge means located intermediate the end sections thereof and definingthe bisection thereof, said intermediately located hinge means having a lower joint made to the C-frame defining a:

first transverse axis extending generally fore and aft,

and

second transverse axis extending generally horizontally crosswise;

said tilt-struts having oppositely coacting means included in the tilt struts to tilt the blade about the first axis between selected tilt angles;

said tilt struts having similarly coacting means connected to the tilt struts to pitch the blade about the second axis between selected suction angles;

said bisected blade having power means on the C- frame legs connected to the bisected blade for double angle contouring, afforded by diagonally independently angling the blade end sections about a third transverse axis located at the hinge means and extending generally upright;

, said lower joint and the joints at the lower end sections of the blade characterized by aligned universal connections.

4. A frame and blade assembly for an outside arm dozer comprising a mounting C-frame and a blade mounted thereon, said frame and blade assembly characterized by:

the blade having blade locking means cooperating with the C-frame legs, and lower struts with ends having the locking means disposed between the strut ends and the C-frame legs and lockable bythe blade locking means to the C-frame legs;

the blade having lower end sections and, at the lower end sections, having joints connecting same to the lower struts which, when the strut ends are locked to points on the C-frame legs, establish locked positions of the blade;

the blade having tilt struts connected by joints to and between the lower strut lockable ends and the blade upper end sections;

the blade having at a bisected intermediate section a joint universally connecting same to the front of the C-frame, and defining a first horizontal axis extending fore and aft and a second horizontal axis in an athwart position of the C-frame, extending crosswise; the besection defining a generally upright hinge axis at the intermediate blade section;

said blade having power means provided on the C- frame legs and connected to the blade for angling same about the hinge axis to single angle locked positions and for independently diagonally angling the end sections to double angle locked positions;

said tilt struts having oppositely coacting cylinders operatively associated with the first horizontal axis and connected to the tilt struts to tilt the blade about the first axis between selected tilt angles; the joints at the intermediate and lower end sections of the blade characterized by universal connections; and

similarly coacting cylinders operatively associated with the second horizontalaxis and connected to the tilt struts to pitch the blade about the second axis between selected suction angles. 

1. An outside-arm bulldozer assembly of a supporting C-frame for attachment to a dozer tractor, and a supported blade thereon having opposite end sections, and having an intermediate section of bisection interconnecting the opposite end sections at their inner end; said blade having blade locking means cooperating with the Cframe legs, and lower struts with ends having the locking means disposed between the strut ends and the C-frame legs and lockable by the blade locking means to the C-frame legs; said blade having lower end sections and, at the lower end sections, having joints connecting same to the lower struts which, when the strut ends are locked to points on the C-frame legs, establish locked positions of the blade; said blade having blade upper end sections and having upper struts connected between said lower strut lockable ends and the blade upper end sections; said blade having a lower intermediate section and having, at its bisection, a multiple joint connecting same at the lower intermediate section to the C-frame and defining, inter alia, a pitch axis extending horizontally crosswise, and a generally upright hinging axis; the joint at the intermediate section of the blade and at each lower end section characterized by universal connections; said upper struts having simultaneously extensibly powered and simultaneously foreshortenably powered means connected to the upper struts to pitch the blade about the pitch axis between selected suction angles; said blade having simultaneously oppositely powered and simultaneously similarly powered extensible and foreshortenable angling means provided on the C-frame legs and connected to the blade selectively to angle same in a direction at one blade angle, or to double angle contouring afforded by diagonally independently angling the blade end sections to locked positions about the upright hinging axis.
 2. An outside arm bulldozer attachment for a tractor, comprising: a C-frame with an intermediate region at the front and two spaced legs joined thereby and terminating in rear ends, said rear ends having means of pivotal connection to opposite outer sides of the tractor; a bisected blade extending across the front of the C-frame; a universal connection between the intermediate region of the C-frame and an intermediate region of the blade at the lower part of its bisection, and universally interconnecting the two regions about mutually perpendicular axes, said bisection defining a generally upright hinge axis between end sections of the blade; and a pair of adjustable strut means for respectively pitching and tilting the blade about the perpendicular axes of the universal connection, one strut means being connected with one end section of the blade and one leg of the C-frame, the other strut means being connected with the other end section of the blade and strut other leg of the C-frame, the connections of said one strut means and said other strut means, for purposes of angling of the blade, having means shiftably mounting same on the legs of the C-frame so as to be shiftable along the legs of the C-frame in opposite directions to angle the blade for single angle contouring and in the same direction to angle the blade for double angle contouring.
 3. The combination of a supporting C-frame, for attachment to a bullgrading tractor, and a bisected blade supported thereby; said blade having blade locking means cooperating with the C-frame legs, and lower struts with ends having the locking means disposed between the strut ends and the C-frame legs and lockable by the blade locking means to the C-frame legs; said blade having lower end sections and, at the lower end sections, having joints connecting same to the lower struts which, when the strut ends are locked tO points on the C-frame legs, establish locked positions of the blade; said blade having blade upper end sections and having tilt struts connected between said lower strut lockable ends and the blade upper end sections; said bisected blade having hinge means located intermediate the end sections thereof and defining the bisection thereof, said intermediately located hinge means having a lower joint made to the C-frame defining a: first transverse axis extending generally fore and aft, and second transverse axis extending generally horizontally crosswise; said tilt struts having oppositely coacting means included in the tilt struts to tilt the blade about the first axis between selected tilt angles; said tilt struts having similarly coacting means connected to the tilt struts to pitch the blade about the second axis between selected suction angles; said bisected blade having power means on the C-frame legs connected to the bisected blade for double angle contouring, afforded by diagonally independently angling the blade end sections about a third transverse axis located at the hinge means and extending generally upright; said lower joint and the joints at the lower end sections of the blade characterized by aligned universal connections.
 4. A frame and blade assembly for an outside arm dozer comprising a mounting C-frame and a blade mounted thereon, said frame and blade assembly characterized by: the blade having blade locking means cooperating with the C-frame legs, and lower struts with ends having the locking means disposed between the strut ends and the C-frame legs and lockable by the blade locking means to the C-frame legs; the blade having lower end sections and, at the lower end sections, having joints connecting same to the lower struts which, when the strut ends are locked to points on the C-frame legs, establish locked positions of the blade; the blade having tilt struts connected by joints to and between the lower strut lockable ends and the blade upper end sections; the blade having at a bisected intermediate section a joint universally connecting same to the front of the C-frame, and defining a first horizontal axis extending fore and aft and a second horizontal axis in an athwart position of the C-frame, extending crosswise; the besection defining a generally upright hinge axis at the intermediate blade section; said blade having power means provided on the C-frame legs and connected to the blade for angling same about the hinge axis to single angle locked positions and for independently diagonally angling the end sections to double angle locked positions; said tilt struts having oppositely coacting cylinders operatively associated with the first horizontal axis and connected to the tilt struts to tilt the blade about the first axis between selected tilt angles; the joints at the intermediate and lower end sections of the blade characterized by universal connections; and similarly coacting cylinders operatively associated with the second horizontal axis and connected to the tilt struts to pitch the blade about the second axis between selected suction angles. 